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Sunday, September 15, 2013

Instant purity is made in the absence of time. (from the novel l'Aventure ambigue by Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane) // Time is always something I'm complaining about, and seeming to lack, but I make the most of it. After a week of unbearably capricious weather (I don't take to humidity well), the front has blown by and autumn is settling in the North Country. I love being wrapped up in frumpy, thrifted sweaters and nursing mugs of spiced cider. Having a half-meal plan and a CSA has been a dream because we have a rotation of fresh vegetables twice a week and I have eaten dinner at a campus dining facility less than I can count on my hands. Between class work, my honors research and organizations, eating actually needs a scheduled block of time. Nonetheless, cooking is high on my priority list because it's a chance to unwind, meditate, and savor the process. The Kitchn just published a great article echoing these sentiments here.

My parents came up last weekend for the day! We ran errands together, went out to lunch, did some shopping, and my dad fixed a broken tube on my bike. Heh, I'll figure that out someday but in the meantime, thanks, Pops!

Tuesday and Friday generally have vegetables to ensure that all shareholders receive the same variety.

The inaugural CSA meal.

Dinner crepes and roasted beets.

Apples sauteed in honey whiskey with brown sugar and pecans for dessert crepes.

Dinner partying at friends' houses, and our own!

This dinner was particularly classy in honor of Pico Iyer, who visited this past week for a Writer's Series event (more on that the next post).

A frittata cooked for our CSA potluck this past weekend, using eggs from their farm!

Not pictured: many other delicious, satisfying meals.

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The Ruckus Bus also had our first tournament the weekend of the 7th. It's been a joy playing with my people again, so unstructured and rowdy. Playing in China served me well though, because I gained a lot more experience and understanding on the field. Now I'm able to help other players who are newer to the game, and I'm heading up the revival of our women's team, The Ruckus Bust!

Reppin' the Ruckus with the Shanghai Huwa shorts with Courtney and Holly! Courtney and I are roommates and we scored an awesome point together on her hammer and my bid during a torrential, sideways rainstorm-- it was a beautiful moment.

So we didn't win the tournament because an alumni team with semi-professional players outplayed us by a few points Sunday morning in the championship bracket, but we still won the party. Equally important.

They're my favorite shitheads.

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We went to Little Grasse Farm first thing Saturday morning to farm with other CSA shareholders as part of the labor we've exchanged. Here's my house mate Elizabeth after we harvested some tomatoes!

Shucking dry beans with freshly-pressed cider.

Chickens roaming their coop.

Harvesting squash into piles so their skins dry out a bit and toughen.

There was a potluck after

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My housemates are so busy and good at what they do, that the six of us haven't been consciously present together since the first few days of school! This was prior to our first Ruckus Bus party of the year with the theme 'fancy homeless.' Sam didn't end up wearing her hat for fear of looking "more like a hipster douchebag than a homeless person." Haha!! A family photo will hopefully come soon.